


Strandgut

by SamiraHeaven93



Series: Hidden Gold AU [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Family, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Manga Spoilers, NO ROMANCE!, but only minor ones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:07:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28112874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamiraHeaven93/pseuds/SamiraHeaven93
Summary: An incident leads to Ace and Yoko, his new fellows crew mate under Whitebeard, ending up stranded on an island belonging to a rivalling Yonko. Said Emperor happens to be present and to quite enjoy the time he can spend with the two teens.
Series: Hidden Gold AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1973551
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You should, but don’t have to, read Hidden Gold before this story. If you choose not, just know Ace met Shanks when the pirate stayed in Foosha and they became friend. Nothing much else changed though.
> 
> This is pure self-indulgent because I just had to include Yoko in this AU. So... maybe spoilers for stuff not yet written in Children of the Sea.
> 
> Sorry for taking so long to post something again, but stuff happen in real life and this AU got more story ideas... I have so much fun with this AU! I hope you all enjoy it too!
> 
> Strandgut probably won’t get as feels-y as Hidden Gold, I’m trying to make this more lighthearted.
> 
> I plan on soon posting the first chapter of an other story for this AU, so this story is actually not really relevant, other then to show the relationship between Ace and Yoko and their dynamic... and because... shenanigans! And writing Shanks and Ace interacting is fun!
> 
> One little note before I shut up!  
> Strandgut is the German word for flotsam or stranded goods

The storm had passed. The Red Force was safely anchored at a small island on the edge of their territory. The crew was drenched and tired, but everything went well.

Yasopp stood in the crow’s nest and stretched himself. Boy had it been a long night. He was glad they had been anchored already, a storm like that in the open water wasn’t nice and could end fatal.  
The sniper let his shoulders rotate while scanning the ocean for enemy ships. Nothing. Which was good, none of them had gotten much sleep. His gaze wandered along the rocky beach next to their ship. The storm had left some driftwood behind, a few pieces that looked like parts of a small ship and a few tree trunks too. Maybe a merchant ship hadn’t made it through the storm?  
The pirate frowned and leaned slightly out of the crow’s nest. That one thing wasn’t a tree, that was a human!

“Boss! There is a castaway!”  
“What? Do you recognise them?”  
“No, but they seem to be a teen.”

They had to see if that person was still alive and if they meant trouble for them. If they were dead they could at least give them a proper burial.

“Benn!”  
The first mate appeared next to Shanks, a blanket under one arm. “Already on my way.”  
The captain gave a signal to a few of his man to follow them and they quickly made their way to the person laying on the beach.

They had almost reached them when Shanks recognised them. And cursed. Loudly.

He sprinted to her.  
Her name was Yoko, one of Whitebeard’s children and a devil fruit user.  
He turned her around and checked her for vitals, which were there, but weak. Benn kneeled down next to them and patted her cheek, which lead to her groaning at first and then shooting up, violently coughing.

Shanks sighed in relief while his first mate helped her cough out all the water. She was alive! Thank god! He wouldn’t have wanted to be the one to inform her father about her death and it didn’t matter which one. Both her biological and Whitebeard wouldn’t have taken it well.

She took a few shaking but deep breaths before looking up at who had helped her and cursed.  
“Dahaha, not happy to see us?”  
Yoko just gave him a look before she stiffened for a moment after which she looked around frantically. The teenager tried to get up, but Benn held her down and wrapped the blanket around her.  
“Calm down. You are not in trouble...”

“Benn! I’m alone!” She coughed some more before meeting Shanks eyes. “I wasn’t alone! Shanks, please, was there someone else?!”  
“I’m sorry...”  
“Fucking...Fuck!” The young pirate buried her face in her hands and took a shaking breath.  
“We will look for your friend. Don’t worry Yoko.” Shanks placed his hand on her left shoulder and squeezed lightly, which made her groan and flinch back. “Are you hurt?”  
She brushed her damp her out of her face before rubbing her injured shoulder.  
“Just a scratch. I don’t worry about myself, I’m worried about Ace. He just joined us! He is my...” She frowned after seen the reaction of the pirates around her. All looked a bit shocked and a few of them already looked around with slight panic in their eyes, including the captain. “You know him...”  
“Yes we do.” The first mate lifted her up into his arms, making her yelp in surprise.  
“Let me down! I have to find him!” Yoko struggled in his arms, but he wouldn’t let go of her and instead started to walk back to the Red Force. “Benn! Please!”  
“You don’t have to do anything right now.” He glared down at her, effectively silencing her, even though she kept pouting at him. “You are soaking wet, cold and have almost drowned. The only thing you have to do right now is get in the warmth and change. And show me your “little scratch” so I can bandage it up. Whatever it is, it is bleeding and you don’t want to get an infection in there, do you?”  
“No...”

It didn’t take him long to get back to the ship and when he did he was already welcomed by Yasopp, who was curiously looking at the girl in his arms.  
“Get some dry cloth for her and after that tell Lucky to make tea and soup.” After a moment and a few more steps to the door inside the ship, he Benn remembered something and turned back to the sniper. “And to make... a few extra portions of food.”  
The other man raised his eyebrows. “Oh? Are there more then just our little former babysitter here? So that’s what the Boss is doing...”  
“Well...” He couldn’t bring himself to actually tell his friend who they were looking for. Shanks was worried enough for all of them right now. “At least if he can find them.”

Yoko ignored almost everything around her. Her thoughts were rotating in her head, almost making her dizzy. The Redhead Pirates knew Ace! Fuck fuck fuck! Ace you hotheaded idiot! Please don’t have tried to kill an other Yonko! But Shanks and Benn hadn’t seemed to be angry? Shanks was panicking? At least a bit?  
What the fuck was going on?!  
How the fuck did Ace knew them?!

They had reached the infirmary by now, Benn had sat her on one of the beds there and had told her to take off her wet clothes. Which she did without fully realising it, buried to deep in her thoughts.

He had only joined them a few weeks ago. He hadn’t even gotten a tattoo with their Jolly Roger! Not that it was required, but Ace seemed like the person for stuff like that, considering his other tattoo. The news hadn’t even reached the ears of Morgans. Ace was still a bit of a mystery to all of them, he wasn’t talking much about his past. The only thing they all knew was, that he had a little baby brother who he obviously absolutely adored! A kid with a big smile as bright as the sun... and a straw hat, that he had gotten from someone who had saved the kids live in the past... way back in East Blue...

Wait...!?

She turned to the older pirate, only wearing her underwear and pants falling to the floor.

“Fucking hell! You know him since Ace was a kid! What the actual fuck?!”

Benn chuckled for a moment, before frowning at her shoulder, which was wrapped in damp and bloody bandages. “I see your brain works as good as ever. No head injury then... probably.”  
A shiver ran down her spine before she started to shake, wrapping herself back up in the slightly damp blanket.  
“Feeling cold now?”  
“Ye-yeah....” She sat back down on the bed, curling in on herself and flinching at the discomfort the shivering was causing her shoulder.  
“Good. You are warming up and the adrenaline is wearing off. Now we have to keep an eye on you and keep warming you up slowly.” Benn twitched at the blanket around her and gave the teen a stern look. “But first you have to show me your injury. I have to at least redress it.”  
Yoko let it slip from her shoulders and the older pirate unwrapped the old bandages around her left shoulder. “Well... I wouldn’t call that a scratch. That’s a bullet wound.”  
“I-I know...”  
“I’m surprised a bullet could hit you.” He went to a cabinet and took out new bandages and supplies to clean the injury. “Isn’t your Observation Haki really strong?”  
“It is...” She avoided his eyes and pulled the blanket a bit closer around her legs.  
Benn sighed and started to clean the wound, which made her flinch and take in a sharp breath.  
“You took the bullet for someone else then I assume?” Why are young people always so reckless. She might have helped someone else with doing that, but why didn’t she do something else instead of taking the bullet. Like reflecting it with her sword. He knew she could do that. Yoko wasn’t as good a swordsman as Vista or Shanks, but she was quite capable, especially for her age. He sighed again. When he was done here, he would definitely get to take a smoke. Especially if Shanks hadn’t been able to find Ace.  
“B-better my sh-shoulder... then someone’s he-head...” She looked up at him slightly frowning. “E-every-th-thing else w-would ha-have been to s-slow...”  
Benn nodded and started to wrap new bandages around her shoulder and upper torso.  
“You will have to wear a sling for a few days, but as long as you don’t get an infection you should be fine soon. There will be a scar, but you don’t mind that right?”  
Yoko shook her head and wrapped herself back up in the blanket, just in time for Yasopp to open the door and bring her fresh clothes.

“Looks like we will be your babysitter for a bit this time, huh?” The sniper smirked and ruffled her hair.  
“Sh-shut up!”  
He just laughed and turned to his first mate. “I told Lucky everything and he is preparing the food. Now please tell me who else we can expect to show up.”  
Benn lead him to the door and took a last look back at the shivering teen. “Let’s talk outside while Yoko can change into some warmer clothes.”

***

The first thing Ace noticed when waking up was that his bed was really uncomfortable, the second thing was that he was soaking wet.  
What the hell?

He shot up, groaned and shook his head. What had happened? Had he tried and failed to kill the old man again? Wait... no... right... he had given up on that...

Ace looked around and groaned some more. He was at a random beach on an island he definitely didn’t know. Well, this definitely wasn’t the first time this happened, but it was different now. Maybe someone was looking for him now? Did Whitebeard care enough about him to search for him? Maybe his old crew would...

But was he really worth the effort? He had eaten a devil fruit after all. He couldn’t swim. They didn’t even know he was still alive. And, even though he had given up on that, he had tried to kill Whitebeard for months...

But what exactly had happened?

Ace buried his face in his hands and tried to remember how he ended up going overboard. The captain had sent them to chase of some pirates from his territory and the fight had left them mostly fine, their opponents had ran with their tails between their legs. Yoko had been shot though...

He remembered something and sprang up. “Shit shit SHIT!”

The storm! She had tried to help, but struggled so he went to help her! Then there was this huge wave and he was reaching out to her! And then... nothing...

“Shit! Oh fuck... please no!” Did she go overboard too?! But she couldn’t swim either! FUCK! Did he loose one of Pops children?!  
He looked around frantically and didn’t even notice that his powers activated, making small flames lick at his body and drying his clothes.  
Yoko was with them for a long time as far as he knew, if she was dead... Ace didn’t want to think about it. They would be all angry. Maybe even think that he killed her, because he tried to kill their father. They would definitely blame him because he was there and didn’t help her!  
Oh nononono... he had thought he had found a second home and a family... even though interacting with them still felt a bit awkward after what he did... but now he had lost that too...

Why was he even surprised...

“ACE!!!”

The teen spun around, ripped from his frantic thoughts by a strangely familiar voice. A beaming smile appeared on his face when he noticed the red haired man running his way, followed closely by some of his men.  
Ace couldn’t even think of running to is old friend before he had been pulled into a tight but one armed hug.

“Damn you kid! Don’t scare us like that! Are you ok?!”  
“Yeah... but...” He looked up at the smiling face of the man who was now affectionately ruffling his hair.  
“Thank every fucking god out there! I was so worried when Yoko said you had been with her...”  
“You saw her?!” The young man gripped Shanks shoulder and shook him slightly. “She is alive? And OK?!”  
“Mostly ok, but definitely alive. I didn’t have the ability to talk with ghost the last time I checked...”  
“Where is she?”  
“Benn took her to the Red Force...”  
“Where...?!”  
The older man snickered and pointed in the direction of the ship. Before he could hold his honorary little brother back, he had already ran off in said direction, making Shanks laugh and follow him.

Yoko was safe! He was so glad! He had hoped they could become friends... maybe. She had always been nice to him, even though he had been really nasty mostly. It had reminded him a bit of his brothers and Shanks when he had first met him. She had treated him like everyone else. Had not tried to flirt with him like women in bars did before. He still didn’t get why they did that, nor did he get the whole flirting thing. Yoko herself had pulled a disgusted face and shoved Thatch away when the man had made some comments about that.  
Ace was just getting along with her, like they knew each other for ages. Which was really weird to him, but he still kinda liked it.  
And she was strong! Zoan powers, even though it wasn’t a very dangerous animal, Yoko definitely was!

He was getting close to the ship and could see a little commotion. Someone was running up to him. Someone with clothes that looked to big on them.

“Ace!” She had almost reached him when she slipped on the wet gravel, but he had been close enough to catch her before she could actually fall. He helped her stand upright again and after she gained back her balance pulled her into a tight hug. After a second he realised what he did and immediately let go of her again.

Did he go to far with this? They didn’t know each other well or for long. He would like to have her as a friend, but what was her opinion? She was just staring at him, he really did go to far. How could he just hug her? He didn’t like just randomly being hugged by people he didn’t fully know or trust either! Heck, he barely did this stuff with his former crew! He can’t just assume she wouldn’t mind or even welcome a hug! Yes, he had seen her hug some of the commanders and they her, but they knew each other for a few years probably and fully trusted each other. What was he thinking?! He wasn’t thinking! Why was he such an idiot?!

“Ace? Are you ok?” Her blue eyes looked at him worried and she wrapped her arms around herself. “Sorry, I must have felt cold...”  
“Ehhh...” Cold? He didn’t even notice that...  
She rubbed her neck awkwardly and shrugged, which made her slightly flinch. “Well I don’t have such handy fire powers as you. You seem to be fine! I’m glad! I was really worried that you could have died.”  
Oh yeah, his powers must have warmed him up again, and she wasn’t supposed to transform into her fluffy form because of her injury...  
“Ah!!” He gently grabbed her by her arms and examined her. “Are you ok? You really feel a bit cold. What about your shoulder?!”  
“I’m ok. Benn took care of it.” Yoko leaned a bit closer to him, while glancing to the older pirate, who now had a cigarette between his lips, and whispered: “But I think I pissed him off a bit with running around like that.”  
Ace managed a small chuckle while Shanks joined them and whispered back: “Na, he isn’t pissed. He looks waaaay more scary when he is pissed.”

“Oh! I almost forgot! I know you know them for a while, but please just do what a do?”  
“Huh?” Ace blinked in surprise when she pulled him down into an awkward bow, facing the Redhead Pirates.

“Akagami no Shanks, we profusely apologise for intruding your territory without your explicit permission or invitation! We also thank you very much for your hospitality! We will leave as soon as possible.”

Shanks stared at the two young pirates in front of him and couldn’t resist, he just had to laugh. Loud and from the bottom of his heart. A formal apology like this would have never been necessary, the whole situation had been the result of an accident after all.

Ace and Yoko looked up at him, with different degrees of bafflement, which made the whole situation even more hilarious to him! He didn’t care that Benn next to him just shook his head and Yasopp joined him in his laughing fit. He would have never thought something like this would happen. He would have never thought those two would ever meet, he had hoped, but nothing more. The Yonko wasn’t the least bit surprised that they apparently got along great with each other though.

“Dahahaha! No insult taken and no harm done. You are welcome to stay as long as it takes for someone to pick you up.” He grinned at them before turning to the ship. “But now we should go inside. I can smell food waiting for us!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talks happen and Ace gets to know a bit more about Yoko. Shanks is amused and Whitebeard happy to hear from his children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a bit longer then I had thought, but I was distracted by a drawing I did for Ace’s Birthday.
> 
> I hope you will like this chapter

A few minutes later the two young Whitebeard pirates sat at a table in the galley, surrounded by a rivalling crew and a steaming mug of sweet tea in front of them, while they waited for some food.  
Ace happily chatted away with Shanks and started drooling when Roux placed a plate with meat in front of him. Yoko was carefully sipping at her tea and eyeing the delicious smelling ramen he had brought for her.  
She sat down her mug and pulled her bowl closer before taking her chopsticks, luckily it was her none dominant arm that was injured and in a sling as Benn had requested. She eyed her new brother and the contentment he seemed to feel by being around the Red-Hair Pirates. He was acting so different from how he did with them. Which she did understand, it was a bit of a weird situation after all. But he had said he wanted to join them and they had welcomed him with open arms.

He still seemed happier on the Red Force...

Shanks notice the girl looking at them and laughed. “Dahahaha. I guess I should explain how we know each other. You look a bit baffled there, Yoko.”  
She shifted her gaze away from them and stared into her bowl. “Actually... I kinda figured that out... right Benn?”  
The First Mate just nodded while blowing out some smoke. Meanwhile Ace had swallowed down his mouth full and stared at her with a somewhat curious but also withdrawn expression.  
“You figures that out? How?”  
She snorted slightly. “Because of your brothers hat.”  
Ace just looked at her in confusion while Shanks blinked once and then erupted into joyful laughter.  
“I think you have to explain that a bit more in detail.”  
“Ehh... hmmm... where do I start...” She started eating her food while thinking for a moment. “Oh! That tastes great Roux! Thank you again! Anyway... I think I should start at the beginning. I’m the child of pirates you know. I grew up surrounded by them. My mother and uncle and later Pops and my siblings told me stories. Lots of stories about the time before the Golden Age of Pirates. About Pops and his rivalling crews. They all sometimes mentioned an “annoying little red-haired brat with a straw hat” as Pops liked to call him. This kid was Shanks.” Said ‘brat’ was just grinning brightly at them, hardly able to contain his amusement. “A few years ago I met him for the first time, but he was missing both his left arm and trademark hat... so I just asked him what happened.”  
She slurped an other bite of her noodles before she continued, ignoring the amused chuckles of the pirates around her.  
“He told me that he had left his hat with someone he cared for and who would take good care of it, which was in East Blue. And then you keep telling us about your little brother with his treasured straw hat and big dreams, who also lives on an island in East Blue. I just thought it was fitting, but I could have been totally off of course.”

“Dahaha, nope, you are spot on, kid!” Shanks had known that she was smart, but not like that. He shouldn’t be so surprised, considering who her biological father was.

“Wow, I would have never made that connection!” For a moment Ace had been scared that she might have somehow found out who his biological father was and that this was how he knew Shanks. But Luffys hat? “You must have heard a lot of stories when you remember all that!”  
Yoko blushes slightly and chuckled. “I love stories! History too. The ones from Pops younger days were always one of my favourites so I asked for them a lot. Plus you seem to like to talk about your little brother.”  
Now it was Ace who blushed slightly. “Of course! He is my little brother! He is amazing!” Just for loving me and not caring about my blood. And so much more. “He will cause a storm when he sets sail for himself!”  
“Oh~! So he is strong huh?”  
The young pirate took an other bite from his food, swallowed it and grinned brighter then the teen had seen him do before. Deuce had once said that Ace had a beautiful and warm smile and he had been right. Ace had never smiled like that on the Moby Dick before and Yoko hoped it wouldn’t take him long to be comfortable enough around them to do so.  
“He is! But not as strong as me. He never won against me and I hadn’t even eaten my devil fruit back then!” He chuckled, his eyes shining bright. “But he is such an idiot too! I always had to safe him! You wouldn’t believe how often he got eaten by an alligator... or were they crocodiles? Not sure.”  
“Hahaha! He sounds like a handful!”  
Ace sighed dramatically but kept grinning. “Oh he is! But I wouldn’t change anything about him!”

Shanks observed the two teens with a dopy grin, leaning on the table and resting his head on his hand. Those two really got along well. Fate was really running in weird ways. He wouldn’t have thought Ace and Yoko would ever meet. Nor that they would get along so well. It was a good thing that the kid had tried to go after Whitebeards head, as crazy as it had been. The old man and his children could really be what Ace needed. Even though he himself didn’t know that. The other emperor didn’t care about someone’s past or blood. Yoko herself was a good example for that. The young Yonko didn’t know if her captain knew about her parents, but he suspected that he did. Yoko wasn’t the name she was born with after all. “Child of the Sea”, that was the name her new father had given her. That was who she was. Just like Ace was Portgas D. Ace and not Gol. They both were their own people, not just their fathers children. They probably both didn’t even consider them their fathers, Edward Newgate was. And he was a great one, not perfect, no one was perfect, but still a great father.

“Shanks?”

He should call Rayleigh and maybe even Crocus or Spencer and tell them where Ace ended up. Spencer knew who he was after all and there was no way Ray had missed how much Ace looked like Roger and Rouge. He was basically his mother with his fathers colors. A bunch of his old crew must at least suspect something especially with Ace choosing to wear his mothers name! Roger himself...

“Owww! What the fuck?!”

“Did you just kick him, Ace?”  
The young man just shrugged while grinning. “Hey, he wasn’t listening. I thought he was sleeping with open eyes or something!”  
“Hahahaha! But that wasn’t nice! He helped us and gave us food!”  
“Oh yeah, right! Sorry! And thank you for the food!” He slightly bowed down in apology, but still had a mischievous little smile on his lips.

Shanks blinked at them and couldn’t help but chuckle for a moment until his hurting shin reminded him of something.

He snapped his fingers in front of the two young pirates and raised his eyebrows. “Oi! What did you want, kids?”

“Oh yeah... eh...”  
“Eh... we wanted to know if we could use your den den mushi? We need to contact Pops... and talk about how we can get back home.”  
“Nawww, you already want to go? You just arrived!” Shanks pouted and started chuckling after a moment, before getting serious. “Of course. The old man must be worried and if he somehow hears from someone else that you two are here, then he will get pissed at me. Which is something I would like to avoid. Do you have a suggestion as to how you can get back?”  
Yoko hemmed and hawed for a moment before speaking up: “Would it be possible for you to bring us to a neutral island? Bringing us back directly would only draw in the attention of the marines I think.”  
The emperor leaned back in his chair and looked at his Benn.  
“There is no village on this island so we need to go to a different island anyway to stock up on some goods soon anyway.” He pressed out his cigarette and thought for a moment. “I think the closest one would be Hornbeam Island. I think some of Whitebeards allies also come there fairly regularly.”  
“Yeah, we get mostly apples, pears and nuts from there. They like to trade with us, but never wanted to be under anyones protection as far as I know and they seem to be doing just fine.”  
Shanks grinned. “Then it’s settled! We bring you there and someone can pick you up there. Yasopp, bring them to the communication room.”  
“Ey ey!” The sniper stood up and gestured for their two guests to follow him.  
The teens stood up and followed him out of the galley.

“Dahaha! I think I’m rubbing off on you Benn. You know who also frequently visits Hornbeam!”  
The first mate just smirked and lit himself a new cigarette. “Of course I do, but it was also the closest Island not affiliated with any of the Yonko and without a Marine base on or close to it.”

***

Yasopp had left them alone after showing them where they could find the den den mushi. They had sat down on two chairs in front of the transponder snail and Yoko was just about to deal when she was interrupted.

“Do you think the captain worries about me too?”  
She blinked at Ace and wasn’t sure if she had heard right, but her newest brother looked really forlorn, while absentmindedly rubbing his arms.  
“Of course! Pops worries about all of us! He cares for all of us.”  
“Even though I tried to kill him just a few weeks ago?”  
“That’s in the past. You joined us, you are one of us!”  
“But... I haven’t even called him... father... and that’s so important to all of you right?”  
She smiled at him sadly. “Yes, it is important, but we all know that it needs time. Not everyone can just start calling someone their new father. Pops doesn’t expect us to call him that, it makes him happy, but he understands that for some it’s hard to use that word.” She scratched her cheek for a second while thinking. “I think it took me a few weeks to call him that. Haruta needed months to adjust to it.”  
“Really?” Hope started to shine in his eyes again and Yoko really wondered what kind of past he had. Probably not the nicest. And definitely not the best father, if he had any at all.  
“Yeah! And you aren’t the first one who... Eh... wasn’t really happy to be made part of the crew either! Even one of the commanders! He was really pissy to Pops at first!”  
Ace started at her. “You are kidding me!”  
“Nope! It’s true!”  
“Who?!”  
Yoko grinned and turned to finally call her family. “That you will have to find out yourself.”

Purupuru... purupuru... purupuru...

“ _Yes_...!” The snail imitated a familiar face, a very stressed looking Haruta.  
“Hallo Haruta...”  
“ _YOKO_!” They almost screeched and the two teens flinched slightly. “ _Are you ok?! Is Ace with you?! Is he ok?! Where are you?!_ ”  
The teen looked at him with a smile and he leaned a bit closer to her to speak up.  
“Eh... yeah... I’m here too... “ He looked at her after she had elbowed him. “And we are fine... I think?”  
“ _THANK FUCKING GOD! Wait... you think?! Are you hurt?!_ ”  
“He is talking about my shoulder. Nothing to worry about.”  
The commander sighed in relief. “ _Ah... ok... WHERE ARE YOU?!_ ”  
“We are...”  
“ _WAIT! I get Pops... or better I get the den den mushi to Pops! Everyone will be so glad that you two are safe!_ ” The could here them pick up the snail and running through the ship. “We were all so worried when Deuce called! The poor guy was freaking out...” They heard them stop. “ _Yoko... Ace... DON’T DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN! You both have devil fruit powers and can’t swim! We don’t want you to die!_ ”

Ace just stared at the transponder snail. They wanted him to life? Even after all those years, after Luffy and Sabo and Shanks, those words still shocked him. He was told time and time again that he was a monster. That his blood was cursed. That his father was the devil and that it was good that he never had children. That all that his potential children deserved was being tortured and killed. That he should be sorry to be alive.  
But they wanted him to live? Even after he had tried to kill their captain for months? They didn’t know who he really was, who his father was. They would hate him if they knew. Throw him out...

But...

Did he deserve to have a chance at having a second home with them? Even if it was for a limited time?

Ace knew that his bloodline was still haunting him. There was no way the marines didn’t at least suspect something or they wouldn’t have offered him a position as a Shichibukai. But he would rather die then be the lapdog of them. He was a pirate. He was free. Free for Sabo who couldn’t achieve his dreams anymore. He would never work for the very people who were responsible for his brothers death!

Maybe he could really truly be free for some time under Whitebeard... they at least wanted him to life...

Yoko could see Aces inner struggle, she didn’t know what her new brother was thinking about, but the look in his eyes was haunting. She would have liked to give him a hug, but wasn’t sure if that would cross his boundaries. And she couldn’t just ask him if it was ok right now or Haruta would hear it, and probably not just them but a good part of their crew, considering she now could hear muffled voices and shouts from the other end of the connection.

“ _POPS! We found them! Well... not really... they called... BUT THEY ARE OK!_ ”  
She reluctantly turned back to the den den mushi and smiled, knowing the one on the Moby Dick would most likely portrait her expression. “Hi Pops!”  
“ _Yoko, my child, I’m glad to hear you are fine. Is my newest son well too?_ ”  
She turned to Ace and gently placed her hand over one of his with which he had an iron grip on his pants. This little gesture made him jump and seemingly pulled him from his thoughts. She smiled at him softly and nodded to the snail.  
“Yes, he is fine too.”  
“ _Gurarara! I’m glad to hear that! Where are you right now my children?_ ”  
“Well... that’s a bit of a problem, but we already have a solution! We are on the Red Force.”  
They could hear muffled shouts and curses. “ _The Red-haired brat!_ ”  
“Shanks helped us! He is my friend!”  
“ _Gurarara! I’m glad to hear your voice too, son._ ” The snail grinned at them brightly. “ _So he helped you? Then I don’t have to come there and take my stolen children back?_ ”  
Yoko snorted, but still kept an eye on Ace, who now looked a bit outraged at the accusation of his friend. “No, Pops, that’s not gonna be necessary. He said he could bring us to Hornbeam Island...”  
“Well, Benn did...”  
“Someone could pick us up from there right?”  
“ _Hornbeam? One of our allies should be able to get there in a few days, right Marco?_ ” The commander must have nodded in agreement because the captain continued: “ _Good. Gurarara! Please tell Shanks that I am grateful that he helped you, but that he is responsible for your safety and that I don’t want to see a single scratch on any of you when you are back! And... try to behave..._ ”  
“Of course Pop!”

***

“Ace?”  
“Hmm?” The freckled young man was just about to open the door to the communication room when she had addressed him.  
“Are you ok?” She was standing in front of him, blue eyes worriedly looking into his own black ones.  
“Yeah, I’m fine.”  
“You didn’t really seem fine some minutes ago though.” She rubbed her neck awkwardly for a moment. “You know you can talk to me right? We are friends! We are family!”  
“It’s ok...” No, he wouldn’t show her any weakness! He wanted to be family... but he couldn’t show her how desperately he would like that. He didn’t want her to think of him as a pathetic weakling. She already must think he wasn’t strong or otherwise she wouldn’t have taken that bullet for him...  
“Ace... you don’t have to tell me anything, but if you want, I will always have an open ear. It must be hard and confusing for you right now... a lot happened and changed after all...”  
“Ehm... Yeah...” He still didn’t get why she was so nice to him after all the nasty stuff he did and said to her not to long ago. But she seemed genuin.  
“Can I... give you a hug?” She looked at him gently and slightly opened her arms, even though a bit awkwardly with her left one in a sling. “You look like you need one...”

A hug? He hadn’t had a proper hug like that since he had left Dawn Island. A hug would be really nice...

She let her arms sink again after he hadn’t reacted in a while. “But it’s ok if you don’t! I won’t...”  
He stepped closer and carefully wrapped his arms around her. Yoko leaned into it and hugged him back, a bit more tightly then he did. Ace rested his head on her right shoulder for a moment and took a deep breath. It felt nice. It reminded him of home. Of his brothers. Maybe, just maybe, he could accept a sister too? And some more brothers...? He couldn’t call them that right now... but maybe in the future?

“Thank you...” I really needed that...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little flashback, a talk and Shanks being an idiot...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went a bit different then I had originally planned, but I like how it turned out. I hope you like it!

~~~

_ It was the typical chaos of a battle between two crews. Nothing new for Ace, except that he wasn’t a captain anymore. Their opponents weren’t strong, the battle almost won. Then it happened. _

_ A shot. A crash and groan behind him. _

_ Yoko pressed a hand to her shoulder and cursed. The bullet was stuck, at least it hadn’t hit its original target. The young pirate tried to get up but faltered, strong arms held her and prevented her from falling face first into the gravel again. _

_ “What...” She blinket in confusion and tried to sit up properly. She felt a bit lightheaded and a cold weakness was spreading from her wound. It was a vaguely familiar feeling... something she had felt before, but not from the inside. “Oh you got to be fucking kidding me?!” _

_ Ace stared at her, carefully holding her, when she looked back at him. _

_ “Are you ok?” _

_ “Am  _ I _ ok?!  _ You _ got shot?!” He turned away from her, furious, and tried to locate the sniper, when a second shot rang. Followed but the thudding noise that a body made when falling down from some hight. _

_ Mihal had already taken care of that. Good. But to bad he couldn’t get his hands on the culprit himself. No one hurt his friends! Even though he didn’t know if they really were friends. Yoko had been nice to him and accepted him, he wouldn’t stand by while she was getting hurt! _

_ Deuce and one of the older members of the Whitebeard Pirates appeared next to them. The doctor took a look at her would and sighed while the older pirate just shook his head. _

_ “Who did you take the bullet for?” _

_ She what?! Ace just stared at her. She got hurt because she protected someone else? A weaker crew member? _

_ But she looked at him. Ace slightly paled and he felt like a huge lump of ice had just appeared in his stomach. She had gotten hurt for him?! It was his fault she had been shot! _

_ “But I would have been fine!” _

_ “No. You would have been dead.” She glared at him. _

_ “I’m fire! It would have gone right through me!” _

_ “No. It’s a fucking kairoseki bullet!” _

_ Sea stone...? That could have hurt... probably... but... “You couldn’t have known that!” _

_ “I didn’t, but...” _

_ “Ok ok! Stop it you two! What’s done is done!” Deuce held out both his arms and his gaze flickered between the two teens. Both of them now glared at him and he just sighed. Now that Ace had stopped trying to kill Whitebeard he seemed to get along well with everyone. Go figure. He shouldn’t be surprised though. His former captain had just this aura, that drew people to him. Ace was amazing... _

_ “Can you walk?” _

_ Before Yoko had even the chance to answer, Ace had scooped her up carefully and made his way back to the ship, ignoring her protests of: “Yes, I can walk! Let me down!” _

_ She had gotten hurt for him. She could have gotten killed! And just because he wasn’t paying enough attention. Because he didn’t think bullets could hurt him. He hadn’t thought of sea stone. He would have gotten hurt without her interference, but that would have been his own fault! She didn’t know it had been kairoseki! She could have been hurt for nothing! And it would have been his fault! _

~~~

The night was clear and illuminated by the not yet full moon and an uncountable amount of stars. It was calm on board of the Red Force, only a few people next to the watch were still awake.

Two of them were Ace and Yoko. They had been given a room to sleep in, which was mainly used as storage, and hastily equipped with two hammocks and a makeshift curtain to give each of them some privacy to change.

Ace stared into the darkness of the cabin, unable to sleep. He trusted everyone on this ship, so why couldn’t he fall asleep? He knew Shanks and his man since he was a child, they wouldn’t hurt him. And Yoko was his crewmate, she wouldn’t do anything like that either. Heck, she even got hurt for him!

“Yoko?” His voice barely louder then a whisper, he didn’t want to wake her up if she was already sleeping. He had no idea how long he had been lying around like this. “Are you still awake?”

“Yeah...”

“Can I... ask you something? But I don’t want to keep you from sleeping!”

He heard a fain noise from her side that could have been a sigh or a chuckle... or a sneeze. “Sure. What do you want to know?”

Ace sighed and dragged his hands trough his hair. “Do you... think I’m weak?”

The girl turned to her side and flinched because she had forgotten about her injury. What made him think that? “Of course not! You are really strong.”

“Even though I couldn’t kill Whitebeard...?”

Yoko couldn’t hold in a snort at that remark. Pops was the strongest man in the world! Almost no one could compare to that! “Even considering that! He is the strongest and you being not as strong as him doesn’t make you weak at all!” She thought about getting up and drawing the curtain away, but she wasn’t sure if Ace would like that. “What makes you ask that?”

The young pirate was silent for a moment before sighing again. “If you don’t think that I’m weak, then why did you take that bullet for me?”

Oohhh! So that’s what this was about? “Honestly? I don’t really know. I noticed a comrade being in danger and moved without thinking. I know you don’t need my protection, but you are my friend... my brother... I want to protect my family.” She chuckled and turned back on her back. “I would have done that for everyone. I have done stuff like that before, even for people that definitely don’t need protection!”

Ace kept staring at the ceiling and didn’t really know what to say to that, but it made a warm feeling spread in him. 

“I think I get it... but... you are not a commander or captain...”

“No, I’m not. But I don’t have to be one to want to protect the people I love. I... don’t want to loose the people I love...”

After that an understanding silence spread through their small room. Both young pirates sunken in their own thoughts.

Similar thoughts. Of family. Of loss. Of the fear to loose someone dear again...

“Yoko...?” His voice was even lower then before.

“Hm...?”

Ace took a shaking breath. He hadn’t planned on telling anyone about this. He hadn’t even told anyone in his crew about this. Only Shanks the last time they had met, because his friend deserved to know...

But Ace also had the feeling that she would understand him...

“I... used to have a second brother... his name was Sabo”

Yokos eye widened in surprise before her face turned into an expression full of sorrow and pain when his words fully sat in.

“We were... not related by blood. Same goes for Luffy by the way... we...”

“Exchanged sake cups?”

“Yeah... we became brothers. We wanted to become pirates, be free. We were happy...”

She could hear him take an other shaky breath and moved to get up.

“Then he died...”

She took the two steps to the curtain and pulled it back a little to slip in.

Ace looked up at her in surprise, before he sat up, his legs hanging down from the hammock. She looked hurt. And sad. Had it really been a good idea to tell her this on a whim? It had felt right to tell her, but he had expected that it would hurt her. She didn’t even know Sabo!

Yoko took a hesitant step closer and sat down next to him after Ace hadn’t done anything to shy away. She gently put her right hand over the crossed out S on his left arm.

“What happened?”

His black eyes met her blue ones for a moment and he could see the same pain he felt when he was thinking back. Yoko knew it, this feeling of despair and pain. The loss...

“Stuff... happened... he set out to sea on his own. He had to get away from his horrible parents...” He leaned slightly back while she lay an arm around him in a semi-hug. “But he didn’t make it far. A Celestial Dragon shot him when he was passing his ship...”

Ace looked back at her after he heard a growling sound and he could swear her eyes had been a different colour for just a moment.

“Fucking assholes! Your brother couldn’t be much more then a child! That’s disgusting!”

Yoko took a breath to calm herself down, this wasn’t the time to be angry. Not when she could basically feel the pain radiating from him. This explained some things about Ace and she would make sure that he wouldn’t have to loose anyone else!

The teen was pulled into a tight hug and just stared into thin air.

“I’m so sorry.” All of a sudden she pulled away from him and firmly held onto his shoulders, ignoring the throbbing in her own. “Shit! It must be so hard for you to be called brother by someone else! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to bring back such bittersweet memories! I...”

A small smile appeared on his lips and he shook his head. “Actually... it’s nice. It’s weird... but I kinda like it? But...” He avoided her eyes for the last part. “I can’t call you anything like that... not... not now...”

He looked up in bafflement when he felt her ruffling his hair, a warm and understanding smile on her lips.

“That’s ok. Take your time. I said it before, but a lot changed for you and this is a huge thing to do. Something no one can just do in a matter of minutes or days. It needs trust... and time.” She leaned her forehead against his. “Thank you for trusting me with this.”

Ace worried at his lips for a second before pulling her into a tight hug, unable to say anything, and he only tightened his grip when he felt her arms around him.

Then he made a wrong movement, the hammock started to move and before any of them could even thing of doing something against it, they already crashed to the floor, yelping in the process. They lay there for a split second, then looked at each other and burst into laughter.

The teens didn’t hear the approaching steps and only looked up when their door was ripped open by a worried looking Shanks who was only wearing pants.

“What happened?!” He blinked down at them and raised his eyebrows, before smirking. “Sorry... am I... interrupting something?”

The two teens looked at him in confusion before simultaneously turning bright red and scrambling away from each other.

“NO!”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

One of them threw a pillow at his face which made him laugh in delight. Man, he loved messing with them! Now he could fully understand why Buggy and he were regularly teased by their former crew. It was fun!

“Oh, no need to be embarrassed! I’m taking my leave then.” He turned around, still cackling and waved. Of course he did know he wasn’t interrupting anything, but messing with them was just to much fun! “Take care!”

Ace and Yoko looked at each other and groaned.

“Oh god... is he really thinking...?”

“He is an idiot... who knows what he is thinking?!”

Ace got on his feet and dusted of his pants. “I’m gonna go and explain!” And he took of after the Yonko, while Yoko let herself fall back to the floor and groaned. _Absolutely brilliant..._

***

It was an almost normal morning. Shanks drank his second mug of coffee, Benn was buried in the newspaper, half a cup of cold coffee sitting forgotten next to him. The weather was nice, just some small clouds dotting the blue sky. It would have been like every other morning, if not for the two teens sitting a bit away from everyone else. Ace was still stuffing his face with breakfast while Yoko had already finished hers and was now lazily looking through a newspaper of her own.

“Oh! New wanted poster!”

Benn looked over the the young pirate and took a sip of his coffee. “Yeah, but none of either of our crews. Just a few rookies.”

“Oh yeah...” Ace swallowed his mouth full of bacon and turned to his crewmate. “You do have a bounty right? You are so strong, I bet it’s really high!”

Yasopp, who was just walking past them, sat down next to them and grinned. “You have never seen her bounty poster, Ace?” The sniper laughed and put one of his arms around his shoulders. “You wouldn’t even recognise her!”

The young pirate looked at him questioning before turning to his friend. “But isn’t the reason for them that people should recognise the people on it?”

Yoko blushed slightly and awkwardly rubbed her neck for a moment. “Yeah, but the marines apparently are to dump to take a picture of me in my human form.”

“Oh but I bet you look really cool on it! You only transform when you fight.”

The girl chuckled and shrugged. “Yeah... but it’s also handy, because no one recognises me. I can wander around wherever I want. No trouble with marines as long as I keep my tattoo and necklace hidden.” She grinned at him. “Oh... and it definitely helps with it that my bounty isn’t that high for the new world.”

“Ha? Come on... it can’t be that low!”

“93 million, waaaay less then yours. And it’s only this high because I’m part of an Yonko crew too.”

“HA?!”

Shanks watched his two guests talk and smiled. To bad he couldn’t keep them, he would miss them. Ah well, they had to go back to their family. He was glad Ace had seemingly found a place to stay. People how accepted him, even though he hadn’t told them much about his past yet.

Last night his young friend had explained him, still embarrassed, that he had told Yoko about Sabo and that he thought she had understood him. Which wasn’t a surprise, considering she had lost her mother when she had been little, before Whitebeard had taken her in. Which had probably been the safest place for her. Staying with her biological father would have been dangerous. He was strong, but mostly alone, Whitebeard had a big crew and places under his protection where she could grow up with a relatively normal childhood. At least Shanks was sure her Pops was smart enough not to take a small child into a war if he had a choice. Just like Aces childhood had been relatively normal too. Well, at least he thought they were relatively normal, not that he knew what a normal childhood looked like. The world had been different back then. Would it still have been better for them to grow up with their biological family? Probably, at least for Ace...

Shanks had to swear to him not to tell Yoko or anyone else, that he was Gol D. Rogers son. Which of course he wouldn’t. It was Aces secret after all! Even though he was sure Yoko would not care about it in the slightest. Maybe she would be shocked for a moment, but in the end she would probably laugh.

“No you won’t! That’s stupid!”

“But... you are worth waaay more then that! I’m gonna go there and tell them!”

“No you won’t!”

“Will do!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“Kids! Please!” The first mate stood up and glared at them in annoyance, while rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Dahahaha! Come on Benn. It’s not like they are bickering about if it’s colder on the North Pole or the South Pole!”

Everyone turned to him and looked at him with various looks of confusion on their faces. Ace and Yoko side eyed each other before raising an eyebrow, shrugging and turning their attention back to the captain.

“Which I had been right about by the way!”

“Shanks...”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

“Dahahahaha!” Ah, the sweet memories of his childhood!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this who are interested how Yoko looks... you can see her on my profile picture...  
> (But there are probably not to much of you who are that interested in my OC... I know it can be quite hard to care for other people’s OCs...)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked the first chapter. This story won’t have that many and they probably won’t all be as long as this one.


End file.
